Graduation
by TwelfthofMay
Summary: The Marauders reflect on their years at Hogwarts as they prepare to leave it.


Author's Note: The Marauders belong to their respected owners.

* * *

Sirius swirled the frothy remnants of his butterbeer at the bottom of his pewter mug. He tipped the mug upside down and dribbled the froth onto his lips.

"Grr!" he feigned a bite into Remus' shoulder.

"Mad dog! Mad dog!" James wailed.

Remus brushed away the bubbly froth mouth-ring on his graduation robes, "That stain will never come out."

Sirius ignored Remus and turned his gaze to the inky black sky that was littered with pin-prick stars.

The weather could not have been better for the graduation day of the Marauders. The day was warm and mild, and the night was cool and breezy. The wind combed through their hair and lifted their spirits. After a hard day of hand shaking and feasting, the four friends were having their own quiet celebration on the balcony of the Astronomy tower. Or as quiet as the Marauders could be.

"LOOK OUT, WORLD!!" Sirius bellowed over the edge of the balcony. Some students down below on the lawn hollered back up at him incoherently.

"I'm going to miss this place," Remus mused. He touched his chin. He could still remember his first train ride to Hogwarts. Bumping along and feeling entirely too anxious and nervous to think of anything else.

"Mind if I sit here?" Sirius had asked and had thrown his things in before he could get an answer.

_James had been the one who violated the rules and had brought a broom to school._

_Peter had been the one who's trunk had broken and they had to help him re-pack it._

"Tomorrow will be our last ride on the Hogwarts Express," Remus said blankly. His vision blurred. Was he going to cry? He looked away.

"Good riddance," voiced James. He picked at a loose piece of stone and threw it off the balcony. Faintly, he heard it plop into the lake. "Always hated the train rides, made me sick."

"Your wishy-washy musings are making me sick," gagged Sirius. He pantomimed vomiting onto the floor.

"Last night in the common room," Peter said. His eyes were sort misty. James recalled how Peter would always curl up in the same chair and hug the gold-tasseled pillows to his chest.

Sirius refilled his mug from the keg. He downed as much as he could with one breath and hiccupped.

"Last night in our beds," Peter added as an afterthought.

"I'm going to miss full moons here. The Shrieking Shack was always the best place to hang out," Sirius said.

"Ha," Remus laughed bitterly. As much as he hated his transformations, he would miss the Shrieking Shack.

"Like a…like a brother it was," Sirius gave a wobbly salute towards the shack that was somewhere out in the darkness.

"The Shack?" asked James blankly.

"Mmm…yeah…" Sirius said in a confused sort of way.

Remus and James exchanged looks.

"I'ma miss yo-ooo-u," Sirius called out over the balcony towards the Shrieking Shack in a mournful howl.

Someone down below yelled up, "Shut your gob, Black!"

"OY!" Sirius hollered. He gripped the railing drunkenly and leaned dangerously over.

James tried to heave him back, but Sirius was pushing him away.

"I know who you are!" Sirius lied.

"Oh yeah?!" called the angry voice from below.

Remus ripped Sirius's mug from his hands, "I don't know how you are doing it, but you're getting drunk on Butterbeer."

Sirius' eyes scanned the sky for a moment, and then he pointed out Sirius the star.

"Look! There I am!" Sirius said between a violent hiccup. Sirius swayed violently and fell backwards.

Remus caught him under the arms and heaved him onto the stone bench. James, who was seated there, moved over and made room.

"I'm in two places at once! Aha-" Sirius said. He grabbed James' mug and took a swig. He licked his lips and closed his eyes.

"Yes you are," Remus prompted.

The mug slipped from Sirius's limp fingers. It fell to the floor with a hollow clink and spilled the butterbeer on the floor. The spill bloomed like a flower.

"Even though I'm leaving, I'll still be.." Sirius drawled in slurred pre-sleep speech.

James raised an eyebrow. His hazel eyes reflected the moonlight behind his glasses like two mirrors.

"Still be...right here, yeah, I'll still be here," Sirius yawned widely. Sirius began slipping off the bench.

Remus seized Sirius around the middle and propped him back up. Sirius snored quietly, his breathing slow and gentle, his head lolling to one side.

James wrinkled his nose, "Typical."

Remus sipped his butterbeer. Peter was quite silent.

"I'm going to miss it," James confessed.

"I think we all will," Remus said almost lamely.

They sat in silence because they didn't need words.


End file.
